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Ribavirin can be mutagenic for arenaviruses.

Abstract
Arenaviruses include several important human pathogens, and there are very limited options of preventive or therapeutic interventions to combat these viruses. An off-label use of the purine nucleoside analogue ribavirin (1-β-d-ribofuranosyl-1-H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) is the only antiviral treatment currently available for arenavirus infections. However, the ribavirin antiviral mechanism action against arenaviruses remains unknown. Here we document that ribavirin is mutagenic for the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in cell culture. The mutagenic activity of ribavirin on LCMV was observed under single- and multiple-passage regimes and could not be accounted for by a decrease of the intracellular GTP pool promoted by ribavirin-mediated inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). Our findings suggest that the antiviral activity of ribavirin on arenaviruses might be exerted, at least partially, by lethal mutagenesis. Implications for antiarenavirus therapy are discussed.
AuthorsHéctor Moreno, Isabel Gallego, Noemí Sevilla, Juan Carlos de la Torre, Esteban Domingo, Verónica Martín
JournalJournal of virology (J Virol) Vol. 85 Issue 14 Pg. 7246-55 (Jul 2011) ISSN: 1098-5514 [Electronic] United States
PMID21561907 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References
  • Antiviral Agents
  • DNA Primers
  • Ribavirin
Topics
  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents (pharmacology)
  • Arenavirus (drug effects)
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Cricetinae
  • DNA Primers
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Ribavirin (pharmacology)

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